


second star to the right (and straight on ‘till morning)

by SoccerSarah01



Category: One Piece
Genre: Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, i love these two so much, this is set 2 years in the future btw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:01:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26655547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoccerSarah01/pseuds/SoccerSarah01
Summary: Oh, Usopp realizes.That’s what it is.Luffy’s turning twenty-one today. Ace was twenty when he died.Ace never got to see twenty-one.(Or: I saw a post on tumblr by SkyGem that reminded me that Luffy will turn 21 when Ace never got the chance to, and, well, this happened.)
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy & Usopp
Comments: 18
Kudos: 127





	second star to the right (and straight on ‘till morning)

Usopp stirs, blinking blearily awake as he stares at the ceiling of the Sunny. The room is quiet, only the soft breathing of his crewmates (or loud snoring, in Sanji’s case) audible in the silent night. There’s nothing that requires his attention, so he turns over onto his side, intent on getting just a few more hours of sleep.

A door clicks quietly shut.

Usopp snaps his eyes back open, glancing around quickly – normally it would be Sanji he’d suspect of getting up this early, but, no, Sanji’s still snoring on the hammock beside Usopp. And there’s Zoro, hanging off his hammock and Brook right next to him, and Franky, and Chopper, and Jinbe, so who-

His eyes catch on the lone empty hammock in the room.

Luffy’s hammock is empty.

Luffy, who always rises with the sun.

Luffy, who you couldn’t wake if you punched and slapped him for hours.

Luffy, who only wakes up fully on his own or if there’s food involved.

(Luffy, who had been oddly quiet and withdrawn yesterday. Luffy, whose 21st birthday is today. Luffy, who normally would be bright and happy and overjoyed to celebrate with his crew, but who had gotten more and more quiet as his birthday had drawn closer.)

(Luffy, who hasn’t been acting like himself for the past few days.)

Usopp swings his legs over the edge, dropping down silently and making his way out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him. He slowly makes his way up onto deck – Robin’s on watch today, and Nami would kill him if he woke her, so caution is definitely warranted.

If this were a normal Luffy-wanting-alone-time situation, Usopp would assume that Luffy would be on the figurehead – it’s his spot, after all.

Instead, he barely has to walk two steps outside before he catches a glimpse of worn straw, and turns his head to see his best friend sitting up against the mast, knees pulled against his chest and cheek resting on them, staring out into the stars off the side of the ship.

(It really is a beautiful night – no clouds to speak of, stars speckling the night sky like glittering diamonds.

It’s a shame Usopp feels he probably won’t be appreciating it much.)

The back of Luffy’s head is to him, so all Usopp can see his hunched shoulders, shivering slightly in the cold. Except, no, it’s a warm night. There’s slight breeze, but it’s almost balmy – and _oh_.

Luffy’s shoulders are shaking, as if he’s sobbing quietly, and trying to hide it – but _why_?

Usopp shakes his head quickly. It doesn’t matter. Luffy obviously needs someone, and what kind of best friend would he be if he left him alone, crying?

Plus, he doubts Luffy hasn’t noticed him already.

He walks slowly over to Luffy, gingerly settling down next to him. Luffy glances at him – Usopp was right, Luffy is crying. His eyes are glassy, and concern fills him as Luffy turns back to staring out into the horizon. Usopp leans slightly into Luffy – saying, _I’m here, I’m not going anywhere_ – and waits.

Luffy will to talk if he wants to – Usopp won’t be able to force him. He doesn’t want to, anyway.

(What he _does_ want to do is take away that sadness that is hunching Luffy’s shoulders; that devastated aura that is emanating from his best friend.

He can only hope Luffy will let him.)

They sit there in silence for a few moments, and Usopp tilts his head against the mast, staring up at the stars that dot the night sky. It’s peaceful, but Usopp can’t help but notice the subtle jerks of the body he’s leaning against; the shuddering breaths he can hear over the breeze that is ruffling both their hair; the way that Luffy is silent, and still, and withdrawn – three things that his captain should _never_ be.

He thinks, _fuck it_ , and decides to try talking to his friend when Luffy breaks the silence at last.

Without looking away from the stars, Luffy says quietly, “You know, Ace and I used to look at the stars.”

Usopp freezes. Fire, D-shaped grins, laughter, and pride, and love, so much love flash through his mind.

_“Take care of him, okay?”_

(Usopp had never felt more small than he had, that day. Even now, four years later, he can still remember the horror; the shame; the disgust in himself.

Seeing that newspaper, with that headline, and _that_ picture – he hadn’t known what to do with himself.

His captain was hurting. His captain could’ve died – _did_ almost die, and Usopp wasn’t there.

His captain lost his brother. His captain was alone, all alone, and what was Usopp doing? Eating and living it up, like he didn’t even care.

He’d never been more devastated or disgusted in himself than he had that day.

_“Take care of him, okay?”_

He failed, then.

He won’t fail now.)

“We’d lay down on the ground, staring up at the stars, and just talk, telling stories – Ace was the best storyteller, you know.” Luffy continues softly, bringing him out of his thoughts. He chuckles slightly, and it’s a choked off thing – the tears he’s been struggling to hold back slowly starting to trail down his cheeks.

Usopp hums quietly, encouraging Luffy to continue. Luffy sighs slightly, saying, “Even after all these years, I still think of him whenever I look at the stars. Especially today…” He trails off, swallowing around the knot in his throat and looking out into the horizon.

 _Oh_ , Usopp realizes. _That’s what it is._

Luffy’s turning twenty-one today. Ace was twenty when he died.

He never got to see twenty-one.

Before Usopp can even begin to formulate his thoughts, Luffy continues wistfully, “I wish…I wish Ace could still be here to see the stars with me,” and on _me_ Luffy’s voice cracks, and before Usopp knows it, Luffy’s sobbing, burying his head in his knees, trying desperately to hide from him.

Like hell Usopp’s going to let him do that; going to let him suffer alone.

(Again.)

Usopp quickly wraps an arm around his shoulders, and with a gentle tug Luffy falls into him, burying his head into his shoulder. Usopp ignores the growing wet spot on his shoulder and gently hums, rocking him slightly.

Luffy chokes out, “It feels so _wrong_ to celebrate this when Ace never got the chance to.”

(Usopp’s never been great at comfort – he’s more likely to try to tell a ridiculous story than to know the best words to say to make someone feel better. And, if a story wouldn’t help, he normally would leave them be or find someone else to help.

But-

This is _Luffy._ This is Usopp’s captain, best friend, _brother_. He can’t just leave him like this – sobbing and lonely and missing his older brother.

He can’t let him suffer alone ever again.)

“You know,” Usopp begins, voice soft as he looks up at the stars. “Some say that even when someone dies, they never truly leave you.” Luffy sniffles slightly, sobs ebbing ever so slightly, and Usopp continues.

“They’re with us; in the ocean, and the sky, and the stars.” Usopp reaches his free hand out towards the horizon, like if he tries hard enough, he could touch the stars. Luffy follows his hand, gazing out into the great unknown; into the stars glittering across the sky.

“Just like my mom will never truly leave me, Ace will never leave you for as long as you live. He lives in here,” Usopp lightly pokes Luffy in the head, startling a wet giggle from him, “and _here_.” He lays a hand over Luffy’s heart. Luffy takes a shuddering breath in, and Usopp smiles softly as Luffy places his hand over Usopp’s, keeping both plastered over his heart.

“And in Sabo, too,” Luffy murmurs, closing his eyes, and Usopp can practically see Luffy reliving their childhood; reliving his losses; reliving how he found part of himself again two years ago in Dressrosa.

He, too, takes a moment to close his eyes and remember his mother – though it’s been over a decade, it still hurts to recall her bright smile and mischievous laugh and enthralling stories, and how it was all taken away from him one day.

But, like he said, she’s never left him.

Usopp opens his eyes and smiles softly, nodding and saying, “Yeah, him too.” Luffy draws away from him slightly, rubbing at his eyes.

“Ace would be pissed that I’m moping like this on my birthday,” Luffy sniffles, and though Usopp can still see tears shining in his eyes, the slight smile on Luffy’s face tells him that Luffy will be okay.

Usopp says mischievously, “Well, we can’t have that, then, can we?” He pokes at Luffy’s side – where he _knows_ Luffy is incredibly ticklish – and instantly startles a giggle from his best friend. “We’re going to have a huge cake, and lots of meat, and have a blast – Sabo’s coming too, so that will be fun – and Ace will be right here with you.”

A warm breeze brushes across them as he says that, and Luffy lets out a wet laugh as his hair gets ruffled – as if Ace is saying, _I’m right here, Luffy. I’ll never leave you._

Usopp smiles and continues, “See? Even if you can’t see him, he’s right here – and I know he’ll be happy to celebrate with you.”

Luffy grins brighter than he has since Usopp woke up, and Usopp laughs softly, tugging him back and Luffy falls into him, giggling and smiling, and Usopp can no longer feel the sadness emanating from him.

He’s glad.

Sadness has no place in the heart of the Pirate King.

_“Take care of him, okay?”_

_I will,_ Usopp vows, arms wrapped tightly around his best friend as they lean into each other, looking up into the stars.

_You can count on it._

**Author's Note:**

> I adore Usopp and Luffy if you couldn't tell, haha, and as soon as I saw the post (by [SkyGem](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyGem/pseuds/SkyGem) \- check them out, they're an amazing writer!) mentioning how Luffy would react to turning 21, I knew I had to write this with these two. Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed!
> 
> (If you want to come say hi, here's [my writing Tumblr](https://sarahwritesss.tumblr.com/)!)


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